City Love
by BulmaB1
Summary: Sango is lonely in New York City. All of her friends are settling down, that is all but Miroku. rated M for Lemons that have now been added, MirXSan a little InuXKag PS If you're under 14 do NOT read my story! The Warnings have been posted!
1. Golden Surprises

I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA!!

Ok even more editing; I am now editing all of my chapters. And my good friends will be also.

The sky was painted in shades of grey and the sun seemed to be sleeping the day away. The end of the work day had arrived for the majority of the laborers in New York City. all accept one. The raven-haired woman sat at her desk finalizing some paper work. She had probably looked over the documents three times before; she used her work as an excuse not to go back to an empty apartment. While her co-workers were leaving at 5:00 pm to get back to their families, she stayed until 8 or 9 depending on how lonely she was feeling that day. She had been working at Hojo's Talent Agency for over three years. She took take of relations between producers and the Agency to ensure their actors would be considered before anyone else. Sango enjoyed the night life her job provided, the parties and social events that she went to were always _the_ places to be in New York. She had become the right hand woman to the boss. She did almost all of his work for him. She needed control and she found it in work. The power she had was fitting for such a 'strong' woman. She was remarkably striking. Her raven hair glistened in the fluorescent light and her pale skin glowed brightly. She had barely any make-up on her face, not that she needed it. Her eyelashes were just as black as her hair so mascara was out of the question. Her lips were a pretty natural pink and plump. Her face was soft and sullen and her eyes had circles under them and suggested a lack of sleep. She sighed and filled out contracts for a few new actors to sign on Monday. It was imperative that they stayed on top of their paperwork so that they could get paid their ten percent when one of their employees gets a job.

"God Sango, just go home already." A familiar voice called out to her with sarcasm. It came from Frank, the head custodian of the building. He was a small man with thinning white hair and thick coke bottle glasses. He had a friendly smile, but he was missing some teeth and the reaming ones looked like he hadn't brushed them in years. He had a raspy smoker voice and coughed whenever he laughed for a long period of time.

"I will, Frank, don't worry about it." Sango shrugged his comment off. She had become accustomed to the custodian's jokes that she did not have a life and cared too much about her work. The truth was that it even though work was important to her, it was also her loneliness that controlled her life. She had been lonely for as long as she could remember. After her parents died, she was on her own. The only people she had in life were her friends and her brother Kohaku. Kohaku had become distant recently. He was consumed with school and finding a new family there. College was good to him. Sango sighed at Frank's comment.

'_Fuck, he's right, what's the point anymore?'_ She was resolved; she decided to pack up and go. She put the contracts into their prospective folders and left herself a post-it note to remind her where she put them. She turned off her desk light and shut down her computer. She put on her coat, grabbed her tote bag, and headed for the elevator. "See you Monday Frank." She said politely as she passed him on her way down the hallway.

"Take care Sango." Frank waved goodbye and returned to his mopping.

Sango reluctantly stepped into the elevator. She did not want to go back to her apartment. It had become slightly less homey and Sango felt like a stranger there. She no longer enjoyed staying home and curling up her couch and eating ice cream. _'At least I'll have Kirara. She can cheer me up when I'm in a bad mood.' _She smiled as she thought of her little youkai. She found her on the streets one day with Kohaku and they took her in. She had become one of Sango's best companions. She enjoyed cuddling with her on the couch and petting her soft tan fur.

She continued to walk down the lit streets of New York. _'I wish I still lived with Kagome. Ever since she moved in with Inuyasha life has not been the same.' _She remembered all of the fun she used to have with Kagome. They would stay up all night talking about life and love. Kagome had become a constant support system for Sango, the sister she never had. They developed little traditions during the two years the lived together. When Kagome had told her about Inuyasha's suggestion of moving in together, Sango was definitely put off. She felt abandoned once again. A breeze passed by her and she shivered. _'It's getting cold already, it's barely September.'_

She fumbled for her key and managed to unlock the door to her apartment building. The security guard, Dan, was sitting at his desk. He was an older gentleman, probably in his late 60's. He was bald and dark skinned. He had a grayed beard and he was slightly over weight. He had a warm smile across his face that was so inviting that it made Sango want to hug him. He had always been friendly even when they did not know each other as well as they do now.

"Hey Sango, back early I see! Your usually don't come in until 10 or 11!" Dan chuckled heartily. This was true. Sango had become so lonely that work consumed her life. She barely ever saw Dan when she wasn't tired from working so late. She couldn't sleep most nights so she would talk to him instead of trying to sleep. He had such wisdom that he could help Sango with pretty much any problem. He was, however, baffled that Sango was still single. She had everything going for her and for some reason she didn't have a boyfriend.

She giggled. "I decided to let myself off easy tonight!" Sango enjoyed Dan's company. He was a father figure she did not have anymore. She enjoyed giving him gifts on Thanksgiving and Christmas. He would joke that his wife was becoming jealous. He even invited her for dinner once and Sango would always decline out of embarrassment. She knew he could tell how lonely she had become when Kagome left.

She was somewhat glad to be home, she needed to get out of her work clothes: a white collared feminine fit button downed shirt and tan pants. All she wanted to do was relax with Kirara and maybe sleep a bit tonight depending on if her insomnia will decide to haunt her tonight. Sango unlocked and opened her apartment door. It was dark and lonely, just as she left it. She flipped the light switch and…..

"SURPRISE!" voices billowed from every corner of the apartment. Sango was in utter shock and almost lost her balance. Her heart started to race and a wave of confusion flew over her. Everywhere she looked she saw her friends: Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku, Kohaku, Rin, Kouga, Ayame, and even (gasp) Sesshoumaru!

"Happy Birthday, Sango!" Kagome cheered in her sweet, lyrical voice. She was dressed nicely in a sweater and jeans with her flowing black hair pulled back into a ponytail. She had a wide smile on her pretty face. She was clearly pleased with how she managed to surprise her best friend. Sango genuinely smiled back at her.

'_Of course, I've been so consumed at work I forgot it was my birthday!' _Sango scolded herself. "You guys! You're all so wonderful, thank you so much!" She looked at her friends and how happy the all seemed. They really did care about her. She hadn't seen most of them in a while because everyone was consumed with their own lives. Sango could feel the tears welling in her eyes. She had wanted to cry for a while. This was just an excuse for it all to come out. She looked back for help from her best friend.

Kagome noticed her best friend starting to cry. 'O, no!' She immediately came to her friends rescue. "Aw, Sango, I love you!" Kagome hugged the teary eyed Sango. "Come on! Let's have some cake!" She ushered her over to her kitchen counter.

The gang crowded around Sango's kitchen counter as Kagome lit the candles on the cake. It was a beautiful chocolate cake, that had 'Happy Birthday, Sango!' in pink icing. Sango could tell Kagome made the cake. The cake glowed and was too pretty to eat. Everyone sang in unison as Kagome presented Sango with her cake. Sango playfully thought of what she might wish for and then she caught a glimpse of Kagome and Inuyasha together, his arm around her waist. _'I wish I had that. I want someone who cared for me just as much as Inuyasha does for Kagome.'_ Sango inhaled and slowly blew out the candles. All of her friends cheered, she was grateful for their support and care for her. She just wished it could make her forget about the pain she was dealing with lately. She would put that pain aside for tonight, for her friends.

The cake was divided among the guests. Sango was able to speak with most of her friends and a lot had changed. Rin and Sesshoumaru had gotten together (finally). He made his move when she became ill and lived in the hospital for months. Rin had always been the weakest of all of her friends. _'I guess the thought of loosing her was unbearable for him.' _Sango thought. _'It seems like everyone has someone…except me.' _They were quite an odd pair; she was so petite next to his towering façade. Even though they loved each other Sango could still see that he was still cold towards her. He had a controlling nature and she was still very childish. Whenever she tried to give him a peck on the cheek or link with his arm he flinched at the thought of public affection. Rin assured Sango, privately, that Sesshoumaru was very loving and great in bed, which made Sango giggle. Ayame and Kouga were married recently, Sango was a bridesmaid. The wedding was last July and at the Waldorf Astoria. They were both born into money and they could afford to rent rooms for all of their guests. Sango remembered that she did not have a date to the wedding and she was forced to dance with Kouga's disgusting second cousin who decided that wearing deodorant was purely optional. However, Kouga and Ayame were happy and that was what mattered the most to Sango, even though the fact that they were together made her jealous. Everyone was settling down and Sango was single and living alone. What did her friends have that she didn't? Was she unattractive? Did she do something wrong in a past life? Did her constant questioning of God finally catch up with her? This was too much for her she had to escape for five minutes. Sango went out to her balcony. She gazed at the lights of New York. It was peaceful. She shivered from a slight breeze that brushed past her. She inhaled the cool air and exhaled loudly. She wanted to scream out into the night but she feared her friends would hear. She rested her elbow on the railing to the balcony and leaned her chin onto her hand._ 'Why am I alone? What is wrong with me? I thought that--.'_

"Needed fresh air?' a familiar voice said softly and seductively behind her.

Sango turned quickly to see who had rudely snuck up on her. It was Miroku. He was wearing a white collared shirt and blue blazer. His jet black hair pulled into its typical rat tail, but it was his eyes that surprised Sango. His deep purple eyes were not as empty as she usually found them. They had something behind them. She wanted to ask him what was wrong but she decided it was rude. Sango was slightly annoyed that he had disturbed her private moment, yet Miroku had become a friend to her over the years, she was relieved to have someone to talk to finally. "Yes. I needed to get away from all of the couples in there." Sango mumbled. She looked back at the skyline as a sign that allowed him to join her.

Miroku let out a sigh, "Yes I know what you mean. I never minded being a bachelor, until I realized that all of my friends were settling down." Miroku leaned against the balcony railing taking in the view. He wished that he could tell Sango everything he was feeling. Yet all he could think of was how beautiful she was in the starlight. _'God I want her so badly!'_

"I wish I didn't let things like this affect me." Sango zoned out for a moment as she looked at her beloved city, but then something caught her attention. Miroku's hand on her bottom!

SLAP! "Miroku you pervert! What is wrong with you?! How dare you take advantage of me when I'm so vulnerable?" Rage filled her. He was a pig! She was completely right about him. She wanted to keep hitting him over and over and over! She wanted him to feel the pain she had inside of her at that very moment. She knew that he was bad news from the moment she met him. Sango was disgusted by her friend. How could she even call him that after this! She hated him! _'Still, why did it feel so right?'_

Miroku laughed nervously as he rubbed his currently red cheek, "Sorry Sango, I couldn't help myself. Old habits die hard you know." He looked at the fury in her eyes and was afraid. He had never been afraid of her before. Maybe he had gone too far. Yet this was something he did all the time. "Oh come on lighten up!" he coaxed.

She continued to glare at him for a moment but she knew she wouldn't get anywhere with him. She was furious and left him at the balcony alone. He sighed. _'She'll never know will she? How much I care for her.' _Sango was oblivious to how much Miroku truly cared. She would never know but, it was in fact Miroku who planned the surprise party, not Kagome. He remembered it was her birthday and told Kagome that it would be fun to surprise Sango. He had loved her since the day he met her. She was everything he wanted in a woman: strong, confident, intelligent, not to mention beautiful. He never knew how to tell her how he felt. He just thought that he could deal with her the way he did other women. He realized that he was sorely mistaken. She became a great challenge to him at first. He treated her like a conquest that had to have. He finally understood that he actually loved her because she did not succumb to him. She was not stupid. She knew what he wanted from her at first. Now all he wanted was to be with her. He wanted to hold her and cook for her. He didn't want to be with any other woman. He continued to gaze at the lights of New York, yet all he saw was Sango. He saw her cascading raven locks resting on her shoulders, framing her pale skin and exquisite dark brown eyes. Just thinking of her made his heart race. _'I don't just want to be with her, I need to be with her.'_

Sango plopped on her sofa fuming from Miroku's previous actions. Kirara curled up in her lap and purred warmly. Soon the guests started to leave. Kohaku had to get back to his dorm at NYU, he only came because he still had some love for his sister, but it was slowly leaving. They were merely acquaintances. Ayame and Kouga had to visit her parents the next day in Greenwich, Connecticut where most ridiculously wealthy people went to retire. Sesshoumaru and Rin needed some "alone time." He planned on being affectionate with her tonight. He clearly had pent up his affections for too long. She was going to be his tonight. Inuyasha and Kagome elected to stay and help clean up. "Well the party was a success!" Kagome cheerfully announced as she washed some dishes while Inuyasha dried them. They had become so domestic over the past two years of living together. It was adorable. They had become the couple that you love to hat. Of course it wasn't always perfect. Inuyasha had trouble voicing his affections for her. He was never affectionate in public until Kagome almost left him a year ago. He changed immensely for her.

"Yeah! It was fun, thank you guys!" Sango said genuinely. She did not know what she would do without her friends, well most of them anyway. She was still very angry at Miroku for violating her earlier. She had half a mind to have him sued for harassment. _'It would serve him right!'_

Miroku came back inside from the balcony. He looked at Sango who still looked pretty pissed off at him and grabbed his coat off of the sofa. He rummaged through his coat pocket and pulled out a small rectangular box. He reluctantly approached her. "Here Sango, Happy Birthday." _'Now I can make my escape.'_

Sango was completely caught off guard, "Oh, thank you Miroku, you didn't have to get me anything." But it was too late. She could here the noise of her apartment door closing, he had left. _'Miroku… what is going on with you? First you grab my butt and now you give me a gift for my birthday! Maybe he needs to be checked for split personality disorder.' _Sango merely stared at the gift in her hands. He had never gotten her anything before, why did he start now?

"Well, what are you waiting for stupid open it!" Inuyasha barked. Kagome hit him on the head with a wooden spoon. "Ouch! Hey! Why did you do that?" He demanded. She was always hitting him for something. (Hmm maybe that's why he changed so much!)

Kagome scolded him, "Inuyasha! It _is_ Sango's present! Don't be rude!" Kagome wished that he would be more considerate of other people. He was still really selfish. Yet she forgave him every time because she loved him so much. He was so different from every other guy she dated. He wanted to protect her at all costs! Yet he wasn't controlling like other guys. He didn't see her as a stupid girl, but she loved him mostly because she knew that he needed her. He once told her that he could not live without her.

Sango giggled at her two friends. They _were_ cute together. When they first started dating Sango hated Inuyasha. She did not trust him at all in the beginning. It was mostly because he did not want to see her friend get hurt again. Almost all if Kagome's previous boyfriends treated her badly. Now she was glad that they were together. Her attention retuned to the gift in her hands. She unwrapped the gold paper and lifted the lid to the box. _'O my god.' _She pulled out a white gold heart-shaped locket that beautifully reflected the light in the room. _'I've always wanted a locket! How did he know?'_ The locket was truly exquisite. It was clearly hand made and it must have cost Miroku a good deal of money. Well maybe not a lot for him, but for Sango it was probably expensive.

"It's beautiful!" Kagome exclaimed. She was slightly envious of her friend's new necklace.

"Yeah…" Even Inuyasha was surprised at the locket. _'Wow Miroku really out did himself! He really does care about her.'_

Sango opened the locket to find an inscription: _Sango, May your heart always be filled with love. Miroku._

'_What does this mean?' _Sango wondered, _'Did my wish come true?'_


	2. Midnight Pain

CHAPT 2 EDITED!

I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA!

The night was brisk and dark. If not for the street lights Miroku probably would not have been able to walk home. He decided to walk because he needed to clear his head and think. He could have easily called his driver to pick him up, one of the perks of inheriting his father's fortune and company. He deeply inhaled the cold air as he walked fast paced down the dirty New York City sidewalks. As he hiked his way home, his thoughts turned to Sango. _'Why do I care for her so much? All she ever does is insult me and deny my advances. What is so special about her? I can have any woman I want.'_ He was right. Ever since Miroku's father died and he gained control of Kazaana Corporation, an Energy Research Company, he has had woman throwing themselves at him. He, of course, welcomed his new found popularity among the ladies with open arms. That is until he met Sango. She frustrated him. She was obviously too proud to notice how much effort he put into her gift. He asked her friends what she liked and he paid a specialty jewelry craftsman to make the locket. She never noticed his efforts to try and get her attention.

She always looked at him with such disgust when he was womanizing. It made him think, _'Am I taking this to the extreme?'_ He no longer found himself waking up to another woman every day. His bed was now only for sleep. _'How, on earth, did I let a woman affect me so much?! It's not like it would be cheating, we're not even together. We can barely call ourselves friends.'_ He changed for her. They weren't even together and he was already changing for her. Still, he wanted her. She was a challenge, but at the same time he could see she was in pain, just as he was and had been. He wanted to know everything about her. He wanted to know why she always looked so lonely and sad. It led him to think, _'Maybe we have more in common than I thought.' _

Miroku had never been quite the same since his father died. He watched his father wither away into nothing but skin and bones from the cancer that plagued his body. Miroku and his father were never terribly close; in fact their relationship could be seen as master and apprentice if anything. Miroku spent the most time with his father when he was dying. It was devastating to see the man he saw as immortal, dying. Finally when his father lost his battle, Miroku became aware of his own mortality, but more than anything he missed his father and knew that nothing would be the same ever again. He wished he could tell Sango everything he was feeling too. He wanted to let out his pain to a woman who loved him. He wanted what Inuyasha had, a woman who cared. The women he did meet never really cared about him. They just wanted him for his money. He somehow knew that Sango did not care about money. She had a career and made her own living.

After an hour, he reached his apartment. The huge skyscraper towered amongst the other building and at night it looked like a monster, ominously stalking the city. Miroku walked past the security guard straight to the elevator. He lived on the top floor, in the suite, another perk. He reached the 35th floor and sauntered down the hallway to his door. His apartment was big! It had all of the typical amenities of a hotel and all the charm of a museum. Everything seemed untouchable. The expensive art, the elaborate furniture, even the floors were too nice to walk on. There was nothing inviting about his apartment. It was not a home for Miroku. It may be because he didn't know what a home was. He had been sent to boarding schools his whole life. He never had a place of his own. He did not know what a home needed. He just felt empty wherever he lived.

Miroku sighed, "Home sweet home." There was a wave of sarcasm in his voice. He removed his black, tweed coat. All of the walking and thinking had made him sweaty. His body ached in pain. His feet throbbed and he was regretting his decision to walk. He was ready to collapse when he noticed that something was amiss. Then he sensed that there was someone else in his apartment. He heard someone moving in his bedroom. _'A burglar? That's impossible! He could never get past security.' _He grabbed a knife from a drawer in the kitchen. He tip toed to the bedroom door. He pushed the door open and there were candles lit and sensual music playing, but the most surprising thing the room was a naked woman lying on the bed. "Hi, Miroku."

Miroku sighed, "Shima, what are you doing here?" Miroku cursed himself, _'I forgot to change the locks. She just won't give up will she?'_

"Why do you think?" She said playfully. Shima was a petite young woman who looked like she was barely 18. Her black hair grazed her supple breasts. Miroku could not help but lick his lips at the sight of her there on his bed. It had been a long time since he felt a woman's touch. He had to resort to pleasuring himself because of how guilty Sango made him feel. He met Shima at a company party and they slept together that same night. Shima and Miroku dated briefly in July. He wanted it to be just a one night stand but she coaxed him into going out to dinner and she managed to get him to copy a key for her since every date ended in sex. _'I must remember to change the locks tomorrow.' _Miroku did not care for Shima. Their relationship was merely about lust and money. She acted like a prostitute. She only wanted him so he could buy her gifts. Miroku felt no pity for her. _'Oh well, I might as well have some fun.' _Miroku smirked he was intrigued by her determination. "Alright." He answered her seductive gaze with an arrogant glance.

Shima crawled toward him with cat-like grace. Miroku started to undo his tie as she went to the buttons on his shirt. She was kneeling on the bed when he started to kiss her neck. Her pale skin flushed red where Miroku nipped her neck as she moaned from the slight pain. His shirt was tossed to the side and he over took her forcing her on her back. _'God, it has been so long! Oh I am going to give it to her tonight!' _Miroku moved his hand over her left breast, which had become perky from the waves of arousal. He squeezed her breast and started kneading while continuing to nibble at her neck. Shima moaned and whispered his name. _'She won't be whispering later! I hope we don't wake up the entire building!' _He laughed to himself. Miroku moved his lips down to her collarbone and to her right breast. He licked her nipple causing it to become harder. He started kissing her breast nipping it lightly in the process. He bit down on it causing her to yelp in pain. She giggled, "That's right baby I like it rough!" He smirked, "I know you do." Miroku took pride in being an exceptional lover. He was a sex machine. He was gifted in the art of how to please a woman. Tonight, however, he was more concerned with pleasing himself. He was being extremely selfish with his foreplay. He wanted her to feel pain because it turned him on and he wanted her to feel what he felt inside.

Miroku heard his phone ring, _'Fuck! I'll let the machine get it.' _He continued his kissing on Shima's breasts. The machine beeped. "Hey, Miroku, it's Sango." Miroku stopped, "Listen I just wanted to say, thank you for the necklace, it's beautiful and I love it." There was a pause and Miroku could hear her sigh. "I also wanted to apologize for early. I've been having a really tough time and I should not have taken out my frustration on you. Well, thank you again for the necklace. Hope to talk to you soon." The message ended and Miroku broke away from Shima. He sat up on the bed and turned away from her. He buried his face into his hands and ran his fingers through his hair pulling at it. Shima sat up and placed her hands on his shoulders. He shrugged them off coldly.

"You should leave." Miroku mumbled callously. He rose from the bed and snatched his shirt from the floor. "Please go." She gathered up her clothes and cursed at him, "Fuck you, Miroku!" He went into the adjoining bathroom to escape her. He managed to catch his reflection in the mirror. He looked at himself intently and hatefully. He couldn't help be disgusted with himself. He turned the cold water on and splashed his face with it. The cold water woke him up out of his lust trance that Shima had put him in. He heard the front door slam, she was gone. _'Thank goodness.'_ Miroku continued to stare at himself. "You're pathetic! Using a poor confused woman like that! You don't care about anyone but yourself!" All he cared about was sex. He was constantly giving into desire. He was weak. His father would be ashamed at the man his son had become. He was a man who slept around with any woman who threw themselves at him. Did he forget his honor? He couldn't take it anymore. The more he looked at himself in the mirror the more he hated himself. Miroku was filled with so much anger he slammed his fists violently against the mirror. He continued to force his hands through the mirror. It shattered under the force of his punches and shards flew everywhere. Pieces of mirror dug into his hands and blood covered his hands. He didn't care. He couldn't stand to look at himself anymore.

Miroku finally realized how badly he was bleeding. "Fuck!" he cursed softly in pain. He cleared the floor and sat. He squinted at the searing pain that throbbed in his hands. He slowly and carefully picked out the shards of mirror in his hands. Sharp pains went through his entire body. Each shard that he took out released even more blood from the vein and arteries in his hands. His hands looked like a child's when they finger painted in school. He managed to lift himself up from the floor leaving red stains on the white tiles. Miroku ran his hands under the still running water. The pain started to throb harder into his hands. He quickly ripped pieces of cloth from his shirt and wrapped his hands with them. The blood started to clot and his pain subsided into burning. "I'm so stupid. I can't do anything right!" Miroku opened the medicine cabinet that was behind the destroyed mirror. He took two pain killers and sauntered back to his bed. He would go to the hospital in the morning. He didn't think it was necessary for him to go now. That might have been the pain killers talking. He collapsed onto his bed in shock and welcomed sweet slumber.

Miroku awoke as his eyes were burnt by the sunlight that filled his bedroom. Miroku moaned in pain. His head ached and his hands felt like they were on fire. He suddenly remembered all that had happened the previous night and he still felt hatred toward himself. He rolled out of bed with out ease and managed to stand straight. He felt as if he were hung over. He wobbled to his living room where the message machine blinked. He suddenly remembered Sango's message from the night before. _'Oh God, I made her feel bad last night, when I left! I'm such an idiot.'_ He slammed his fist on the machine, briefly forgetting the pain he had inflicted on them the night before. He cried out in pain. "Fuck me!" Another new message played. "Hey Miroku, it's Inuyasha. Listen, Kagome wants me to invite you to this stupid dinner party she's throwing tomorrow. Ow! Kagome don't hit me! You're so stupid!" "What did you say?" Kagome shrieked. "Hold on! Ok, it's tomorrow at 8, our apartment, see you then man." Click.

Miroku sighed, "I guess Sango will be there too. But first I have to have those locks changed." He looked at his hands, "and see a doctor."

Aw poor Miroku! PS Shima is the girl that he promised he would marry, in the show, and Sango freaked out!

Read and Review!!


	3. Loving Autumn

CHAPT 3! This story is making good progress! Warning LEMON!!! (Forgive my dirty mind) Read and Review!

"Kagome, I told you I didn't want to wear that stupid apron!" Inuyasha screeched as he ran away from Kagome who was chasing him with a pink, frilly apron. She was always trying to get him to wear that when they cooked.

"Inuyasha, stop running! You need to wear this so you don't get food all over your clothes!" Kagome continued to chase after him around the apartment. Inuyasha found refuge in the bathroom and locked the door. He ran from her whenever she took out the apron. They truly had developed a routine. They became more and more domesticated as the years went on. However, this was one routine that had become tedious and annoying for both of them. Kagome pounded on the door, "Come out of there you big baby!" Kagome paced their bedroom thinking of a way to get him out. "Fine then if you won't come out you don't get to eat my delicious dinner!" Kagome chimed. She knew him all too well. If he didn't eat he got cranky.

Kagome stood in front of the bathroom door waiting with her arms crossed. Slowly the bathroom door crept open and a seemingly defeated Inuyasha stepped out of the bathroom. _'Works every time.'_ Kagome smirked, "Are you ready to cooperate?" Sometimes it seemed like they were mother and child not boyfriend and girlfriend. She always had to chastise him for being bad or doing something wrong. However today was a bit different. He started to laugh devilishly. "What is so funny?" Kagome asked.

"Nothing I was just thinking about the look on your face when I do this!" In a swift motion Inuyasha came at her and lifted her over his shoulder.

Kagome shrieked, "Let me go you big dummy!" She pounded her fists against his back and shook to try and get free. She didn't really want to get away. She just didn't want to let on that she liked what he was doing.

Inuyasha, clearly pleased with himself, patted her bottom and answered, "If you insist." _'Oh you're not getting away that easily.'_

He plopped her onto their king sized bed and, with out giving her a chance to sit up, crawled on top of her. They were nose to nose and they stared into each other's eyes. Inuyasha gazed at Kagome's delicate chestnut brown eyes; he still could not get over the innocence her eyes still processed. They had been together for three years and things could not have been more perfect. It was as if they were destined at birth to be together. It did take them a while to get to where they were at that moment. Inuyasha had to face his demons and allow himself to love again. He was so afraid when he first met her. She reminded him so much of his first love, Kikyou. She broke his heart and he thought that it could never be fixed, until he met Kagome. She promised that she would never hurt him.

Kagome ran her fingers through his long white locks. "Guess what," she whispered, "I love you." She loved him deeply. She never wanted to be with out him.

He nuzzled into her neck and started to paint her neck with kisses. "I love you." He muttered between kisses. His hand slid up the black skirt she was wearing and rested on her bare thigh. He rubbed her smooth skin and brought his lips to hers. He kissed her bottom lip and broke away to gaze at her once more. "You're so beautiful, you know that?" he whispered in her ear. He was never this affectionate when they first started dating.

Kagome blushed. His golden eyes looked at her lovingly. She loved his softer side, he was always so tough and guarded when they first met. It was understandable. Kagome too had been hurt by previous boyfriends. Inuyasha caused his share of pain too. Kagome was often extremely aggravated by how distant he was their first year together. He compared her to Kikyou all the time and he never touched her in public. You would never know that they were together that first year. If a woman hit on him he never told them he was taken. That had become the last straw for her and she left him. He realized how much he needed her and loved her that he begged her to come back to him. Over the two years after, he warmed up to her, so much so that he was the first one to say 'I love you.' Kagome sighed, "I really should finish cooking, and everyone will be here soon. I'd also prefer that our friends didn't see us in this position when they get here." She giggled slightly.

Inuyasha reluctantly got off of her and helped her off of the bed. He kissed her forehead and took her hand in his. Their fingers laced and palms exchanged heat between them.

She pulled him back to her and pushed her lips onto his. Their soft lips became one and each inhaled each others sweet scents. They kissed passionately for what felt like an eternity of bliss. Kagome pulled away slightly and whispered seductively in his ear, "Don't worry, when every one leaves, I'll make it up to you." She kissed his cheek and led him back into the kitchen/dinning room. Kagome went to the large pot on the stove that the soup was cooking in. In honor of autumn she was making a pumpkin soup and spiced biscuits. It was a pretty casual dinner for their two best friends: Miroku and Sango.

Kagome and Sango had been friends all their lives and lived together before Inuyasha asked Kagome to live with him. Kagome could tell that Sango was lonely. Kohaku was busy at college and her parents died years ago. Sango needed to get away from work and out of her apartment for a little while. She hoped that this would help Sango. Kagome worried about her all the time. Sango is easily affected by given circumstances that she often became depressed. She needed to find a life outside of work and the past.

Inuyasha met Miroku his first week living in New York City. They were both at CBGB's night club and got into a confrontation. They could have killed each other but instead Miroku offered to buy him a drink. When Miroku realized that Inuyasha was new to the city, he offered to show him around and set him up with a job. They had been best friends ever since. Miroku told Inuyasha about his feelings for Sango, after they were both introduced, and Inuyasha decided to help him out. He found out for Miroku that Sango had always wanted a heart shaped locket. Inuyasha knew that they would be good for each other.

Inuyasha set the table for four and lit some orange candles on the table. He looked over at Kagome who was standing over her pot of soup. Her dark green, long sleeved shirt fitted to her feminine shape and complemented her ample bosom. Her black hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and her bangs covered her eyes. He inhaled the aroma of the meal she was cooking and it made him love her more, if that was even possible. She was his perfect woman. He knew that she would never leave him again. He would die if she did.

Kagome caught his gaze and blushed she liked it when he looked at her like that. "Will you stop staring and help me. Stir this while I get the biscuits out of the oven." Kagome grabbed the fish shaped oven mitts off of the counter and opened the oven door and pulled out the biscuits. "Mmm they smell delicious."

Inuyasha stirred the soup and snuck a taste. Kagome placed the biscuits on a china platter. Then a knock came from the door. "Oh! That must be Miroku or Sango!" Kagome hurried to the door and opened it.

"Hey Kagome!" waved Miroku. He was dressed in a long sleeved black shirt and jeans.

Kagome smiled until she noticed his bandaged hands. "What happened?" She gasped.

This caught Inuyasha's attention, "Hey Miroku your hands!"

Miroku laughed nervously, "Oh it's nothing! Just an accident that's all! Hey aren't you going to let me in at least?" He tucked his hands into his pockets, it stung but he'd rather take the pain than explain what had happened two nights ago.

Kagome moved out of his way and let him in. Inuyasha hugged his good friend. "Glad to see you could get away from your busy schedule to have dinner with your friends."

"Are you kidding? I would never miss one of Kagome's home cooked meals." Miroku plopped on the couch and laid his head back, "So is Sango coming?" he boldly inquired. He wasn't sure if he should let on to Kagome about his feelings for Sango.

Inuyasha smirked, "Yeah, by the way, nice touch with the necklace. She seemed to really like it." He wanted to give Miroku up in front of Kagome. He sat next to Miroku with two Sam Adams' in his hands. He offered one to Miroku and took a sip of his own.

"Yes Miroku that was quite unexpected!" Kagome teased him. She knew how he felt about Sango, it was exceedingly obvious. Kagome fixed herself a gin and tonic and sat on the arm chair diagonal from the couch.

"What can I say?" Miroku joked. He tried to hide his embarrassment. _'Oh God I hope she doesn't tell Sango.'_ Miroku waned to tell her himself, eventually.

"So are you going to tell her how you feel?" Kagome asked. She saw that he was slightly shocked by her question. "Don't worry I won't give you up!" She tried to ease his mind and get him to feel comfortable again.

"I don't now," Miroku sighed, "I want to but, I'm afraid she won't take me seriously. All she sees me as is this pervert. I need to show her that I'm more than that." Somehow he would show her how he felt. He could not continue without knowing if she felt the same way about him. The question was: what will he do if she does not care for him? That question was not answered yet.

A knock was heard at the door. "Well, you'll have a chance to show her tonight." Inuyasha muttered. _'This should be an interesting evening.'_

Kagome rushed to the door, "Sango come on in!" Kagome embraced her best friend and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "How are you?" She asked with a hint of concern. She did not want her friend to keep her emotions bottled up. It was not healthy.

Sango took off her coat; she wore a v-necked, long sleeved, fitted purple shirt and tight jeans. She sighed, "Oh I'm alright, a little tired from the walk." She tossed the coat on a chair. She could read Kagome like a book. She wasn't born yesterday. Kagome was always playing the mother figure when it came to her friends.

Miroku could only smile when he saw her, _'She's wearing the necklace. Maybe she does care.'_ Miroku was pleasantly surprised. He thought that she would just toss it aside as another tactic he might use to get in her pants. _'Did she know that this gift came form the heart?'_

Kagome ushered Sango to sit, "Do you want something to drink?"

"Yes! Do you have Jack Daniels?" Kagome nodded. "Jack and coke please!" Sango collapsed into the arm chair Kagome was previously sitting in. She saw that Miroku was looking at her and she couldn't help but blush as she fondled the locket nervously. _'I hope he notices that I'm wearing it.'_

Miroku wanted to speak but he had no idea what to say. All of his thoughts were racing. He didn't know where to begin. All he could do was stare.

"Dinner's ready!" Kagome called. They were both saved by dinner.

Inuyasha bolted to the table and looked at his bowl eagerly. Miroku and Sango followed swiftly behind. Sango inhaled the aroma, "Smells delicious!" Kagome poured soup into each of the bowls and placed the biscuits in the center. "Bon appetite!" Inuyasha grabbed three biscuits and started digging in. Sango, Miroku, and Kagome stared at him. "What? I'm HUNGRY!" They all laughed at the orange faced hanyou.

The four friends finished their meals and returned to the living room. Kagome and Inuyasha cuddled on the couch while Miroku and Sango sat in separate arm chairs. It was awkward for Miroku and Sango to watch their friends cuddle like that. They both had feelings of jealousy boiling in them. Sango was on her second Jack and coke. The alcohol settled in her stomach and relaxed her. She had been slightly nervous since seeing Miroku. _'I don't know what to think of him anymore.'_ She looked out of the window. _'We're not even that good of friends, Miroku.'_

"Sango, how's work going?" Kagome asked her clearly disengaged friend.

Her daze was broken and she quickly searched for words. "Oh, uh, it's fine. We need to get rid of a few actors who haven't gotten work in years." She answered apathetically. She looked at the clock on the wall, 11:00 p.m. "I should get going." She stood and wobbled a bit. She was a little tipsy _'Wow the alcohol is really affecting me.' _

Miroku noticed her trouble and quickly took advantage. "I'll take you home Sango. I'll call my driver." Miroku piped.

"Thank you." Sango muttered groggily. _'Oh great. This is going to be extremely awkward!'_

Miroku grabbed Sango's coat and put it on her as he led her to the door. He watched her protectively and rested his hand lightly on her shoulder.

"Goodnight you guys!" Kagome called. "Gosh I hope she'll be alright. She drinks when she's sad. I just know there's something she's not telling me!"

"Maybe she wants to figure it out on her own. Remember she's an adult, Kagome. She can handle herself." Inuyasha tried to ease his girlfriend's suspicions as he rubbed her back soothingly.

Now that they were alone, Inuyasha took advantage of the situation. He leaned into her neck and kissed it lightly. She reacted as if she were tickled. She turned to him and gave him a puzzled look to tease him. She poked his nose and turned away from him with a coy grin on her face. He leaned back into her. "You owe me, remember?" he whispered in her ear seductively.

She giggled lightly, "Oh don't worry I will." She leaned in close and kissed his forehead, nose, cheeks and finally his lips teasing him innocently. She kissed him softly and lightly until he took over and kissed her with force. He sucked on her bottom lip lightly and moaned. She gasped and he took the opportunity to push his tongue into her mouth. He explored every inch of her mouth and relished in her taste. She bit his lip and took control again. She climbed onto him, straddling his lap. She continued to join her lips and tongue with his. Their tongues met and moved as if they were dancing a tango. She pulsed her body on his with a rhythm that the both knew all to well. They each learned each others tics and turn on's. They were both very considerate lovers. Inuyasha got off of the couch and carried Kagome into the bed room, her legs wrapped around his hips.

He lightly rested her onto their bed. The black cotton sheets were soft and warm beneath her. Kagome breathed deeply and slowly looking up at her hanyou. His golden eyes looked at her warmly and kindly. She still got nervous every time they made love. She always found him with an intense look on his face when they made love. It was fun, but it was also a special bond they both had with on another. His head dipped to her neck and he started to lick her neck. His left hand found its way up her shirt as always. Shivers followed his touch. Kagome stopped him to remove her shirt which he helped to lift over her head. Inuyasha expertly removed her bra to reveal her full breasts. She lay back down onto the bed and Inuyasha still kneeling removed his shirt also. Kagome was always in awe of his body and how his muscles were nicely toned. He was an Adonis. She loved to look at him when he was naked.

He bowed back down to her slowly and sensually. He took his left hand and lightly traced the curves of her body with his fingertips. She moaned in pleasure from his touch. She shivered more and they caused her nipples to become hard. He leaned down and started to kiss her right breast while massaging the left one. He made circles around her nipple with his tongue and gently squeezed her left breast. He sucked on her areola causing it to become bright red. She ran her fingers through his white hair and moaned in pleasure. He took his left hand from her breast and slowly moved it up her leg to her thigh. He pulled off her panties from underneath her skirt and slowly inserted his index finger inside of her.

She gasped in pleasure. He added his middle finger and started to slowly pump them into her. He pulled them out and licked her warm, sweet juices off of them. He tugged her skirt off of her and tossed it aside. He started to unbutton his pants, this was when she took the opportunity to flip him on his back and she was on top of him. She smiled sensually and finished taking off his pants and boxers revealing his well endowed manhood. She straddled his throbbing erection and slowly slid it inside of her. She had been on the pill for years now so that they could both feel the pleasure they both wanted and needed.

She started to move up and down on his manhood pumping it with her womanhood. She found the rhythm slowly and breathed heavily with each motion. He grabbed her hips and assisted her with the pumping. She started to move at a faster pace when she saw his head jerk back in pleasure, he moaned her name. She started to move faster and faster. He moaned, "Please, Kagome, don't stop." She smirked. She loved having control over him. She loved having dominance when they were intimate. He couldn't take it he had to finish it. He flipped her over and pumped into her hard and at a quicker pace. His breath quickened and their heartbeats were one. He pumped harder and harder each time. He sank deeper and deeper. Her fingers grabbed the skin on his back and she dug her nails into him. He could feel her walls tightening and see her face squint in pleasure. "Inu…yasha!" She called in pleasure as she tightened her grip on him. He growled in response. "INUYASHA!" She cried in pleasure. He moaned loudly along with he cries like they were harmonizing their sounds of pleasure. He felt her shudder as they erupted in ecstasy at the same moment.

He lay on and inside of her so he could kiss her passionately once more. After a few minutes of small kisses he pulled out of her and continued to breathe heavily. Inuyasha collapsed next to her and she buried her head into his chest. She was shaking slightly from the shock of their love making. She listened to his heart rate beat quickly and it started to slow to its normal rhythm. She exhaled and drifted off to sleep in his arms. He rested his head on top of hers and closed his eyes whispering, "I love you." He pulled the sheets over them and then welcomed sweet slumber.

-Fanning myself- I didn't know I had it in me! Love to all who read! Chapt. 4 coming soon!


	4. Good Friends

CHAPT 4!!! NO LEMONS IN THIS ONE, SORRY FOR THE OTHER HENTAI OUT THERE!!! Read and Review!!!

Sango stumbled to the elevator with Miroku following closely behind. Sango could not believe how tipsy she was from the alcohol. _'Wow how much whiskey did Kagome put in those drinks.' _She pushed the button to the elevator and waited impatiently next to Miroku. She could smell his cologne. It was musky and reminded her of autumn leaves falling in a forest. She wanted to bathe in his scent. She wished she knew what it was so that she could buy his cologne and spray her pillow with it. She couldn't help but smile.

"Do you want your coat?" Miroku inquired nervously. _'Why am I so nervous? It's not like this was a date or anything.'_ "Oh, Thanks." She answered quietly. She moved closer to him so he could slip her coat onto her body. Their bodies lightly brushed each other and Sango developed a rosy glow on her face. Her heart raced at the thought of touching him. She wanted to caress his soft skin with her finger tips. Sango was surprised by her feelings. She had never felt this way around Miroku. The elevator door opened and she quickly stepped in and Miroku followed.

He stole glances at her when she was not paying attention. God she was ravishing. She was a very classic beauty. She was still very different than any other girl he knew. She did not know how beautiful she was exactly. She played with the necklace nervously. The gold chain laced between her fingers and the locket itself slid along the chain freely. She was clearly uncomfortable. He couldn't help himself he had to voice his happiness. "I'm glad you wore the necklace." He commented quietly.

Her face turned one shade redder. _'He noticed.'_ She stared at the floor, "Oh, thank you for getting it for me. I didn't even remember my own birthday! Yet you got me this beautiful necklace. I didn't know you knew my birthday, I mean, I don't remember telling you," she stumbled over her words attempting to hide how nervous he made her. She wanted so much to tell him how much the gift really meant to her, but she was afraid of pushing him away.

"Well, we met on your birthday." Miroku muttered. It killed him._ 'She doesn't even remember. I am hopeless.' _How could she feel the same way about him? She didn't remember when they first met. He cursed himself for being so foolish.

"We did?" she was slightly upset that she didn't remember when they had met. _'I must not have talked to him, maybe he was just someone Kagome and Inuyasha randomly invited. Oh he must think I'm a horrible friend. He'll never feel the same way about me.' _Sango wished she remembered what he was talking about but, alas, it was not found in her memory. She dug her nails into her hands out of frustration. The elevator doors opened and they exited.

"Yeah, I remember because I ran into you all at Nobu, they were celebrating your birthday and I had the chef make you a special dessert." He pulled out his cell and dialed for his driver to come pick them up. "Hey Carl—"

Sango was stunned, _'He remembers me from that long ago, that was two years ago! Maybe I did have him all wrong.'_ She smiled as he hung up his cell phone. Then it hit her. She remembered that when she saw him she thought he was so handsome. She wanted to get his number but he left before she could. She decided not to pursue him because Inuyasha warned her that he was a notorious playboy. She found out how much of a playboy when she saw him more often. She was thankful to Inuyasha for warning her. She thought Miroku's treatment of women was disgusting. The way he pursued women just for his own pleasures made Sango's stomach twist.

"He should be here in five minutes." Miroku informed her.

She nodded and said, "Thanks Miroku, you're a good friend." _'Friend…' _She wasn't sure why she said that. She did not want him to think that she just saw him as a friend. Yet, she wasn't sure what she saw in him at all.

He laughed nervously. She had just stabbed his heart with a dull dagger. "Thanks. I try." _'Friend…' _That word was a death sentence. It has often ripped the souls of many apart. Miroku spotted his car pull up to the sidewalk. "Come on we'd better go." He usher her outside to the Lincoln town car. Carl stepped out of the car, he was larger man with an expressionless look on his face, and opened the back seat door for Sango and Miroku. They both slid into the car and relaxed into the seat as Carl got back to the driver's seat. Sango shivered. October had arrived disguised as January. '_Soon it'll start snowing!'_ Miroku gave Carl Sango's address and they were on their way. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked. (Aw how sweet, don't say it's out of character, when it comes to Sango he is a sweetie!)

She nodded once more. She stole a glimpse of him. She started to notice how truly handsome he was. His jaw line was defined and masculine. His eyes were a beautiful deep purple and his untamed jet black hair poked out of his rat tail. Her thoughts started to turn to the night she remembered meeting Miroku. She was at a club with Kagome and Inuyasha showed up with his friend, Miroku. Miroku immediately started hitting on Sango. She shot him down many times and ultimately punched him when he grabbed her butt. He was a pig. She remembered thinking that he should be castrated for violating her. She wondered what had changed, _'He doesn't hit on me anymore, well except for my birthday. Yet he hadn't for a long time before that night. Does that make me sad?' _

They arrived at her tall, steel apartment building and Miroku helped her out of the car. She was still very tipsy; she almost fell onto the sidewalk. "Here I'll help you upstairs." He joked. By that time Sango's face became bright red. '_I can't believe I'm embarrassing myself so much! He must think I'm a klutz!'_ Miroku helped her into her building. Dan was there to greet her and show some concern of course. He noticed that Miroku had his arm protectively around Sango. He was happy that she finally found a man! "Have a good night you too." He hinted and winked at Miroku.

When they reached her apartment Sango found herself ridiculously close to him. Her hands rested lightly on his chest and she could feel his heart beating fast. _'God he smells good!'_ She looked up at him he was smiling at her tenderly. She pulled away and fished into her pockets for her keys. She clumsily opened the door and turned to face him. She looked at him wondering if she should be bold and ask him. "Do you want to come in?" she asked timidly, unsure of his answer.

Miroku gasped and looked away from her, "I don't think that's such a good idea." He sighed. He wanted nothing more than to be with her, but his conscience got in the way. How could he take advantage of her? Normally, any other woman, he would be in there in a second. He wanted to it to be different with Sango. "Have a good evening." Miroku started to walk down the hallway—

"Please," she muttered trying to stifle her cries, "I don't want to be alone tonight. Please as a friend, just sleep on my couch." There was desperation in her voice that he could not deny. She looked at him longingly and pleaded. "We can have hot chocolate and watch movies. I need a friend tonight, ok?"

He looked at her. Her eyes were welling with tears and she was quivering. How could he deny her? She just needed a friend, not a lover. He complied and walked toward her. He followed her into her apartment. The apartment was quaint with a kitchen, dining, and living room all in the first room and the second room, he could only assume, was her bedroom. She hurriedly went to her kitchen and pulled out a box of Swiss Miss© from one of the cabinets. She promised hot chocolate and she needed to busy herself after causing that scene in the hallway. She filled two mugs with milk and heated them in the microwave. She poured the powder into two other mugs and poured the hot milk over the coco powder and placed two spoons into the mugs.

Miroku was slightly distressed by her behavior. Miroku went over to her, "Sango," he placed his hand on her shoulder, "breathe, please." He gazed into her eyes, concerned for her. He did not know what was wrong but he was going to find out. Sango did as he said, but the touch of his hand made her heart race. She handed him the mug in her right hand. She let out a sigh and walked over to her couch. She curled up next to Kirara and stirred her hot chocolate. Miroku joined her on the couch and sipped his hot chocolate. She looked at him and whispered, "Thank you." She smiled. He **_was_** a good friend to her.

He returned the smile, "What are friends for?" Sango grabbed her remote from the coffee table and turned on the television. Miroku interrupted, "No. We should talk instead." She looked at him with fear. He placed his hand on her knee reassuringly. "Ok." She did as he said and turned off the television and turned to face him. "What do you want to talk about?" she pet Kirara who was now in Sango's lap. She feared the worst.

"I want to talk about what just happened. Why do you need me here? You've always seemed so strong and confident—" He was interrupted by the sound of her sniffling.

"I'm sorry. I've just been so… lonely. Kagome moved in with Inuyasha, I'm alone here." She tried to choke back the tears. She managed to speak between sniffles. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought this on you like this."

Miroku could not believe that she trusted him that much. She was breaking down in front of him. Miroku, overcome with emotion, pulled Sango into a hug. His strong arms wrapped around her entire body and she trembled in his embrace. He held her tight and whispered in her ear, "It will be ok. Everyone feels this way sometimes. I know how you feel. Trust me." He tightened his grip on her and she buried her head into his chest.

Sango loved being in his arms. She felt safe and protected. She was tired of taking care of herself. She wanted someone to take care of her for once. Miroku was doing just that, taking care of her. "Thank you." She slowly pulled away from him and he wiped the tears off of her face. She smiled and continued to wipe lingering tears. "You're such a good friend Miroku."

He felt a sting, _'That word again…'_ He sighed and looked away, "Anything for you Sango." He wanted to be her protector. He wanted to hold her when she felt like she couldn't go on. He never wanted to have that responsibility until now.

A wave of exhaustion hit her. She rubbed her tired, sunken eyes. She got up from the couch and yawned. "I'm going to bed. You can sleep here on the couch. It's comfortable." She did not want him to leave. She still needed her protector there with her. She wanted to see him when she woke up.

He nodded and took off his coat. Sango went into her room to retrieve a spare pillow and blanket. She tossed them onto the couch and sat on the arm of the couch. She wanted to grab his face and kiss him softly on the lips. Unfortunately she was afraid of his reaction. She did the next best thing. She leaned into him and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you again." She left him to escape to her bedroom. Miroku relished in the kiss Sango let on his cheek. He wanted to follow her into her bedroom and sleep next to her. He just wanted to old her, nothing dirty at all. Miroku turned off the lights and curled up onto the couch, "Sweet dreams." Kirara curled up onto Miroku's stomach and went to sleep with him.

Sango slipped into her purple pajamas and got into bed. She wanted to go back into the living room and lay with him. She wanted him to hold her in his arms again. She just wanted him. She crawled into bed slowly. She rested her head on the pillow and sighed and drifted off to sleep, hoping to dream of him. She awoke to the sound of her front door closing. She jolted up out of bed and looked at her alarm clock, 10:30. _'Fuck! I'm late!'_ She hurriedly grabbed a blouse and pencil skirt from her closet and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She grabbed a pair of black jimmy-choos and went into the kitchen. She found Miroku in the kitchen with a big brown paper bag in his arms.

"Good morning!" He greeted her with a large grin on her face.

"Um, morning, I thought you left. I heard the door so—"

"Oh I went to the deli and got bagels. I didn't know how you liked your bagel so I got a bunch of different kinds—" He fumbled with the bag and put it on the counter and started to pull out a bunch of different bagels.

Sango smiled. "I'll have an everything with cream cheese." She couldn't help but giggle. He was being so sweet, so nice, so not Miroku! He handed her what she asked for and grabbed a bagel for himself. "Listen I have to work, but thank you again for last night and the bagel!" She gave him a hug and squeezed him tightly.

Miroku smelled her sweet hair and exhaled. He pulled away, "Sango I…" _'Just tell her how you feel!'_

She looked at him, "What?"

He looked into her eyes and then the ground, "Nothing. Have a good day at work." He couldn't do it. All she saw him as was a friend, well in his eyes anyway.

She looked confused at first and then smiled, "Thanks Miroku! We should hang out more." She kissed him on the cheek and followed him out of her apartment. They both went their separate ways, yet they were both thinking about the same thing, each other.


	5. Red Reflections

Hello, Chapter 5 yes! I'm excited for this one! The story took a completely new turn. It took me a little longer then expected because my best friend Sayaijin Princess Chichi is helping me edit my previous chapts. I decided to post this one though so I could leave you guys kind of angry…. Sorry…… Please let me know what you think! Love to all!

PS This Chapt has major Angst, don't read if you're squeamish.

The days flew by and October was almost at a close. The trees of central park were painted in reds, oranges, yellows, and browns. The store fronts started to decorate their windows for the holidays. It was quaint how some place as metropolitan and busy as New York City managed to change so much over one month. Halloween was especially celebrated by the citizens of New York. The only thing that never changes about New York: the smell. It always smells like garbage, smoke, fish and urine rolled into one (spend a full day in New York you'll see). It never bothered Sango though. She loved living in New York. She could never see herself living anywhere else.

Sango sat at her desk at work going through different audition paper work. They were asked to send some of their best actors for roles in a new television series that was to be filmed in New York. She sighed. She had become bored with work and was making excuses to leave early now. Her coworkers had noticed a change in her behavior and they were strangely relieved. Sango's original workaholic attitude made the rest of them look bad. In fact, she had been leaving early so that she could make plans to hang out with Inuyasha, Kagome and (especially) Miroku. Sango skimmed through piles of résumés and selected ten actors and eleven actresses to send on the audition. She glanced at the clock: 4:30. _'Not even close to being able to leave yet!'_ Sango needed to go shopping with Kagome to get a costume for the Halloween Party next weekend. It was a tradition that Sango and Kagome had started when they first moved to New York together. They get all of their good friends, acquaintances, and coworkers and they all pitch in to rent out a warehouse for a huge Halloween party. Now that Miroku was a good friend he pitched in a good deal of money also. They could rent out a really big warehouse with the money he had inherited. There was going to be over 150 people at the Halloween party, they had to hire security to make sure people don't crash it.

Sango was about ready to just leave when her intercom on the phone beeped. "Sango." A stern voice said over the intercom. "Yes, Mr. Hojo?" she answered her boss nervously. "Can I see you in my office please." He demanded. "Of course." Sango gulped not knowing what he wanted to talk about with her. She got up and walked down the hallway to her boss's corner office. She knocked and slowly opened the door. Mr. Hojo sat at his desk with his hands clasped on his desk. He motioned for her to sit and inhaled deeply. "Hello Sango, how are you today my dear?" he asked coldly. Mr. Hojo was about forty five years old and graying already. His face was worn out and he always seemed to have a scowl that comfortably rested on his face. Sango never said more that five words to him. "Oh, I'm alright and yourself?" she politely answered. "Fine, fine, listen Sango, there is something very important I need to discuss with you." Mr. Hojo trailed off as he searched for something in his desk. He pulled out a folder and continued, "How long have you been with us Sango?" "Two years now." She quickly spilled out not knowing what she was getting herself into. "Do you enjoy your job here?" "Yes very much so." _'Am I being fired?'_ Sango had become tremendously uneasy at the sight of her boss flipping through the documents in the folder. "The company is thinking of expanding to Los Angeles, we need someone there to lead. We are considering you." Sango nearly fell over, "You want me to—" He interrupted, "we will be watching you and a couple other people and we will hopefully have a decision by January."

Sango felt like jumping up and down, but at the risk off looking stupid, she decided not to. "Thank you so much," She shook his hand profusely, "You won't regret it!" "Alright Sango keep up the good work." Mr. Hojo went back to his work and Sango rushed out of his office. _'Finally, some recognition for all of my hard work.'_ Sango hurried to her desk and cleaned it up. There was nothing that could happen to her today that could bring her down. She gathered up her tote bag and put on her black pea-coat, green scarf and matching gloves. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Kagome's number. "Hey Sango! What's up?" Sango sighed as she headed out of her office building to the subway, "Not much, are we still meeting to get our costumes?" Kagome cheerfully answered, "Of course, it's a tradition! Shall we meet at Kaede's on Bleecker Street?" "Of course, I'll see you in ten minutes?" "Yep! See you then!" Sango closed her cell phone and boarded the downtown subway train and got off at 14th street and 8th avenue. She walked up the stairs and nearly tripped over a homeless man who was sleeping. He cursed at her and shook his dirty fist at her. She recovered herself and started to ascend the stairs to a cold breeze. She was still getting used to the cold. She enjoyed the changing seasons but she wished it would stay a little warmer.

She shivered as she ascended from the dark depths of the subway. She hiked her way up to Bleecker Street. The streets were busy with rush hour traffic. A cloud of exhaust fumes hit Sango in the face. She coughed loudly and could hardly breathe at first. She managed to reach Kaede's Vintage Clothing and Costume Shoppe. She opened the door and the door cackled a Halloween laugh in response to Sango opening the door. She didn't flinch, Kaede did this every Halloween. "Hello Sango!" Kaede shrieked from behind her register counter. The 60 years young woman was dressed in a traditional witches costume with a real wart on her nose. Sango enjoyed visiting Kaede every year now for Halloween. This tradition was stumbled upon when Kagome and Sango had forgotten to get costumes for their Halloween party they planned. Kaede's store is a block away from Magnolia© bakery, where they buy the treats for the party every year. They had ordered everything a week ago. The last thing that was needed was alcohol, a must at a New York Halloween party.

Suddenly Sango's eyes were covered by someone's hands. "Hi, Kagome." Sango said sarcastically as she pulled away from her friend's hands. They embraced and giggled as they do usually when they see each other. These two had been friends since high school and their friendship never changed. No matter what happened they both knew that they could depend on one another. Kagome was their when Sango's parents died in a car crash when she was 17. Kagome was there for Sango at her darkest hour. Sango was there for Kagome during all of her beginning problems with Inuyasha, his insensitivity mostly. She made sure that Inuyasha would never hurt Kagome again. She told him how much Kagome really cared and that she deserved better than him! They looked out for each other. They were the best of friends and that would never change. "Come on let's start looking." Kagome insisted. The girls wandered through the store trying on different vintage items so that they could put costumes together. They searched through the sea of old 60's and 70's clothing and managed to find some treasures.

"O! I like this!" Sango exclaimed when she found a vintage black Will Steinman 60's gown. She stepped into the dressing room and tried it on, it fit her perfectly. It accentuated every curve of her body and she looked like Audrey Hepburn, which she was not going to go as, that was two years ago. She decided that the dress would be part of her costume and she may even where it to work dinners. She stepped out of the dressing room to show Kagome who was ecstatic at her glamorous friend. Sango took advantage of Halloween to look glamorous, which never was during the rest of the year. "You have got to get it!" Kagome had red vintage slip that looked like a mini dress. She slipped in on in the dressing room and it looked like it was made for her. The fiery red color stood out against her creamy white skin. Sango wished she was as comfortable in her body as her friend was. The two friends paid for their new dresses and headed out to their favorite restaurant for dinner, wildflower©.

They both walked up to MacDougal and 6th avenue. They entered the cozy restaurant and were seated at the table by the window. They settled into their seats and waited to be helped. The waitress approached the table and recognized the two women as regulars. "Hello ladies, can I get you something to drink to start?" she asked politely. "I'll have a glass of Pinot Grigio." Kagome chirped up. Sango added, "Oh I'll have the same. And I think we already know what we want for dinner?" She inquired her best friend. "Yes. I'll have the Kobe beef burger." Kagome licked her lips; she had been waiting for this all day. "And I will have the lobster 'mac and cheese' please." Sango handed the waitress her menu and returned her attention to Kagome.

She sighed, "I can't believe it's been three years since our first Halloween party. Where does the time go?" The waitress brought them their wine and Sango immediately took a sip from her glass.

Kagome mimicked Sango's sip of wine and answered her, "I know! It's crazy. I met Inuyasha almost three years ago also." Kagome sighed, "I don't think I thought I would be living with him when I first met him." She let out a fake laugh. It seems that no matter what they were talking about it always went back to Inuyasha. He was always on her mind.

Sango could tell her friend had something on her mind. _'Do I dare ask?'_ "Did he do something, Kagome?" She sipped her wine again. _'Hopefully it won't be too bad. I don't want to have to beat Inuyasha up again!'_

Kagome looked away, "No, he's great, it's just… we've been together for so long… I'm just not quite sure of where it's going." She looked back at her friend. "He loves me, don't misunderstand, he tells me everyday how much he loves me. I just wish he would do something about it. I know I'm still young but, when I'm with him all I think about is marriage. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I'm just not sure if he feels the same way. I don't know where he wants this relationship to go!"

Sango was confused, "Kagome, don't you think you're too young for marriage? I mean you don't want to do something you might regret…" Sango's voice trailed off. Whenever Kagome talked about Inuyasha Sango always became slightly jealous. She wanted so much to tell Kagome how she really felt. "I wish I had what you had. I want someone to tell me they loved me everyday." She was shocked that she let those words escape her lips. She didn't want her friend to know that she was jealous.

Kagome was slightly shocked at what her friend said, "Are you alright Sango? You're not getting depressed again are you? If you are," she placed her hand on her friends, "you know you can tell me. I don't want you to do anything to yourself again…" Kagome's thoughts went back to a dark time in her and Sango's friendship. She never wanted to think about that again.

Sango pulled her hand away and let out a nervous laugh, "No, of course not! I'm fine, I promise. I just get lonely. When you moved out—" Sango stopped herself. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes. "—forget about it. It's nothing. I always get this way around this time of year, besides we didn't finish talking about your hanyou problem!" She tried to change the subject, anything to get Kagome to stop worrying about her. She gulped her wine this time, hoping to numb her pain slightly.

Kagome looked at her friend for a moment, _'Oh Sango I hope you're being honest with me.'_ "Well, maybe I should drop some hints." She sipped her wine, "Except I don't think he'll catch on. He's not the smartest hanyou out there!" She joked and they both giggled. They had managed to get back into a good mood.

Their food came and they devoured it. It was an almost perfect end to their day. Sango paid the bill in honor of her possible promotion. The two friends hugged each other. Kagome did not want to leave her friend. She could sense that there was something amiss but, Inuyasha would be home waiting for her and she did not want to keep him waiting. Sango went down to the subway and took it to her apartment. She saw Dan, busy at his desk, and smiled at him as usual. "Hey Sango! Did you go shopping today?" he coaxed. She answered with on word, "Halloween." He nodded understandingly as she escaped into the elevator. She collapsed against the elevator wall. She let out a sigh of relief that she could let her body relax for a moment. The dinner really filled her up and she had a buzz from the wine. She hurried to her apartment door and unlocked her door. Kirara was curled up on the couch and sleeping. Sango dropped the bag on her kitchen counter and shut her door behind her, locking it. She was home, alone. She needed to escape her emptiness and she new exactly what to do.

She fled to her bathroom and shut the bathroom door with her entire body. She leaned against the door and slid down to the floor. She breathed heavily and shut her eyes, trying to prevent any tears from escaping her eyes. "I'm so stupid." She mumbled. _'Why did I let on to Kagome that I was unhappy?'_ She scolded herself weakly lifted herself off of the floor. She took off her blouse and long pencil skirt. She removed her bra and underwear and looked at herself in her mirror. She peered at the scars on her body. She traced the large scar across her stomach with her finger tips. Her upper thighs were marred and disfigured while the scars on her wrists were faded because she discovered that her wrists were the first place Kagome would look. "You're ugly." She uttered hatefully at her reflection. "You're worthless. No one will ever love you." Sango touched the locket Miroku gave her that was around her neck. She never took it off. She slept with it on and even showered with it around her neck. She opened her medicine cabinet and pulled out a pair of scissors she always kept handy. She shuddered at the thought of what she was going to do, she had managed to stop for a couple of weeks but, it was her addiction. There was no escaping it.

She brought the shape blade to the outer part of her thigh. She pressed firmly into her thigh piercing the skin deeply. Red started to seep out of her body and run down her leg. She ran her finger tip through the blood and soon her leg was almost completely covered in a deep red. She sliced into her other leg slowly and let out a slight moan of pain. Blood trickled down her legs and painted them dark red. The blood dripped onto the floor and Sango let out an eerie sigh of relief. The pain brought her sweet relief as she rinsed the scissors and her leg off and tended to her wounds with gauze. She had been doing this to herself ever since her parents died. She had a ritual that she followed. Every night, once Kohaku had gone to sleep, she would slice open her body with little cuts to make the pain she felt inside physical. She wanted to feel the pain inside and out. She hated herself for not being strong enough. She never wanted to cry in front of Kohaku, she had to look after him. There was no room in her life for tears. Kagome finally found her out when they were both 18. She got Sango into a rehab program, but that didn't help. Sango lied to her friend and told her that it did. Kagome was never the wiser. She gathered up her clothes and looked at herself one last time "I'm pathetic." The tears escaped her eyes and burned her cheeks red. She went back into her bedroom and managed to weakly put on her pajamas and crawl into bed. "I'm supposed to be happy. I might get a promotion. Miroku cares for me… I think…" She lay on her back and rested her head on her pillow, softly. She did not find solace in her dreams like she had wanted. She was restless the entire night, dreaming of the most painful thing of all: _him rejecting her._


	6. Enchanting Halloween

Hello Readers! Sorry this took so loooong! School has been crazy and Thanksgiving crept up on me! Well here we go! This is a big one!

A week had passed since Kagome and Sango's shopping day and not much had changed. Sango managed to shuffle through her work in a zombie-like state. She was still excited about her possible job promotion, except all of her energy was drained from her extra curricular activities. She had slipped back into the unhealthy habit and mutilated herself every night over the past week. She managed to be clean about it and she did not have blood stained sheets. She fooled everyone. Kagome hadn't spoken to Sango since their outing. Only Kirara could tell there was something wrong. Animals seem to have that sixth sense. Sango saw Kirara every morning looking up at her with sad eyes, confused by her owner's actions. Sango had become weak, possibly because of blood loss. She wished she could just lie in bed all day. She found that waking up had become a great pain. She spent Saturday and Sunday in bed staring at the ceiling and sleeping. She got up once to feed Kirara. She daydreamed when she stared up at her off white ceiling. She saw Miroku laying next to her his arms around her in her fantasies. He whispered sweet nothings into her ear and kissed her cheek softly. Her daydreams made her smile. They were the only thing that made her smile that whole weekend. When Monday came she was not sure if she would be able to get up. She did get up. She mustered together what little strength she had and got out of her bed.

Work was just as monotonous as ever. She did not work any harder. She didn't work any less. She just ambled through the week with very little strength. She was thankful that no one at work noticed a change. She managed to sneak past Dan without him raising an eyebrow at her strange behavior. She sometimes wondered whether she should be the actress instead of the one getting them hired. She was excited for the Halloween party that Saturday. She was excited because she knew Miroku would be there. She wanted to be more than beautiful. She wanted to look bewitching. She wanted to entrance him. She wanted him to fall in love with her with one glimpse. She felt silly worrying about a man this much, especially one like Miroku. Yet, he was always on her mind. She bought new makeup, shoes, and even planned to get her hair done. It was all for him. _'Would he even notice?'_ She was constantly questioning herself. The only time she felt in control was when she slashed her body.

She had reached the end of the work week and somehow floated home. She used to enjoy walking through New York. It was her dream city. She had always wanted to live there. She would stay up late on the phone with Kagome making plans on when they would move and where they would live. She fantasized being a socialite of the New York club scene. She would gravitate between parties and the bouncers at all of the clubs would let her in no matter what. She wanted to become a legend. She lost herself in these delusions of grandeur throughout high school and college. Unfortunately, reality has a funny way of destroying those dreams. She needed money so she got a job, which slowly became a career and she lost track of fun. She needed to go to bed early so that she would be rested in the morning. The Halloween party was the one time of the year when she could escape back to that dream. She danced the night away not caring about what time she had to be up for work. She never even went to sleep. She reveled until the sun came up. She took on the role of the legendary socialite once again. It was as if she never stopped being her. She could not wait until tomorrow.

She was back at her apartment and listlessly cooking herself some food. She decided that she would cook slightly gourmet so that she could occupy her time. She wanted tomorrow to come quickly. She was impatient. This party was an even more important event. Her beloved would be there. She pulled out the necessary ingredients for her dinner. She obtained: sourdough bread, olive oil, red onion, butter, grape tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, mushrooms, white wine, thyme, and cheese. She made herself a gourmet grilled cheese she learned how to make on a cooking show she watched once. She poured some of the white wine into a glass and enjoyed her dinner. She stood at her kitchen counter enjoying a bite of her sandwich. Kirara traced around Sango's feet rubbing against her ankles. Sango sighed as Kirara's soft fur brushed against Sango's skin. She finished her sandwich and retired to her bedroom with Kirara close behind her. She decided that she would not partake in her secret release that night. She wanted to wake up early so that she could get everything ready for the big Halloween party. She slipped out of her work clothes and tossed them into a laundry hamper she always had handy by the bathroom. She sauntered over to her cherry wood dresser and pulled out a purple satin night slip. She held it in her trembling hands for a minute as she caught her reflection in the large mirror above the dresser. She delicately caressed her finger tips across a 4 inch scar on her collarbone. The raised red skin tingled when she touched it. This one was almost a year old. She continued to stare at her reflection, as if she had never seen herself before that moment. She was not sure who she was looking at anymore, herself or a shell of who she was once. Her mind wandered to her favorite memory of her parents. She was about twelve years old at the time. She snuck downstairs to the living room where she found her parents sitting by the fire, their arms around each other, cuddling. They were silent. They didn't need to say anything to one another. They both were comfortable sitting in silence together. She could feel the comfort they both must have felt at that moment. They knew that they had someone who truly loved them. Sango could see her parents in her mirror, happy, quiet, and alive. She felt a tear escape and roll down her cheek. She needed them now. She was lost. She had been for some time now. She thought that if they were still with her maybe, just maybe, they could help her. She caught a glimpse of her alarm clock: 12:30 a.m. She pulled the slip over her head and covered her body with it. She climbed into her queen-sized bed and wrapped herself in her down comforter. She inhaled deeply and turned off the light on her nightstand. She closed her eyes and escaped to her old childhood home over thirteen years ago. She stared at her parents, sitting by the cracking fire. The reds and oranges illuminated the living room and her parents' faces. She wanted to run to them. She wanted to hug her mother and father and never let go, but she did not. She sat and stared. All she could manage was a simple whisper, "I miss you."

Sango awoke to the buzz of her alarm clock. She stretched under the covers and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She kicked the comforter off of her lazily and managed to sit up on her bed. Kirara was curled up on a cushion on the floor still fast asleep. Sango rested her feet on the hard wood floor and pushed herself off of her bed. She strolled into her adjoining bathroom. She turned on the shower and sat on her toilet for a moment and breathed deeply. She got up and removed her night slip and undergarments. She stepped into the running water and stood under the shower head letting the warm water fall onto her face and hair. She shut her eyes and placed her hand on the shower wall for balance. She just stood there, letting the water wash away her problems from last night. She washed off her body with Dove© body wash and stepped out of the shower to dry herself off. She had a hair appointment in an hour so she did not see the point in washing her hair thoroughly. She lightly patted herself dry and wrung out her wet hair with a fluffy white towel. She quickly brushed her teeth and returned to her bedroom to get dressed. She slipped on a pink Victoria's Secret© push up bra and panties to match. She dressed herself in a long sleeved yellow Beatles© shirt and dark blue jeans. She still had on her locket that Miroku gave her. She rushed to her closet and pulled out a pair of Steve Madden© black boots. She ran a brush through her hair and ventured out to her living room/kitchen. She grabbed her purse and coat and left for her hair appointment.

Sango reached Anthony Prieto Salon© at 11:15 a.m. She stepped into the European style salon and approached the front desk. A chic, young woman sat behind the desk. Her red hair reflected the lights in the salon as she looked up at Sango. "How can I help you?" she asked with a sweet, high voice. Sango smiled and answered, "Yes, I have an appointment at 11:30. My name is Sango Taijiya." The receptionist smiled back and told Sango to follow the woman standing next to her to get her hair washed. Sango was in heaven when the woman washed her hair. She melted into the scalp massage the woman had given her. Soon her hair appointment was over and her hair looked flawless. It was slightly shorter and blown-out. Her raven-hair was glistening and rested on her shoulders naturally. She paid the receptionist with a check and left. She went on a few errands before she finally got back to her apartment. There were last minute party items she needed to get. Everyone that was invited was required to bring a bottle of some sort of alcohol. (What's a party with out some booze, right?) Sango bought a bottle of her favorite drink, Jack Daniels©. She had to make sure that Magnolia© delivered the sweets that were ordered. Sango had walked all over New York to finalizing party plans. She knew Kagome was too busy to do that so Sango took the liberty of being in charge of most of the planning. Everything was in place when Sango finally got back to her apartment. She needed to meet her immediate friends at the warehouse at 6 p.m. She had to get ready there. She packed everything that she needed. She got her black dress, red hooded cape, make-up, and a pair of red stiletto high heels. She heard her stomach rumble in frustration. Sango barely had a chance to sit down let alone eat. She left just as quickly as she came in.

Sango arrived at the warehouse around 6:05 and saw Kagome and Inuyasha waiting outside for her. She picked up the key earlier that day also. Kagome had her arm linked in Inuyasha's as she waved to Sango. "Hey!" Kagome called to her with excitement in her voice. Inuyasha looked annoyed that he was 'waiting' for Sango to show up. "Took you long enough!" he muttered. Sango hit him playfully, "I'm only five minutes late you jerk!" Kagome and Sango giggled in unison as Inuyasha snatched the key out of Sango's hand. He unlocked the warehouse door and barged in with Kagome and Sango following. Kagome lugged a big shopping bag full of stuff for the party. The warehouse lights illuminated the huge space. Tables were already set up at different sections of the space. There was a bar strategically placed at the front and the stage for the DJ was in the back. There was still a lot of work to do. The party started at 10 p.m. and the Warehouse was still ridiculously bare. Sango, Inuyasha, and Kagome dropped their stuff on the nearest table and waited for the rest of the gang to arrive.

"So Sango, you never told me what you were going as for Halloween! Let me guess, a Hollywood starlet?" Kagome queried while getting out the two bottles of Jaegermeister that she and Inuyasha bought for the party.

Sango winked, "You will just have to wait and see!" Kagome pouted playfully and gestured for Inuyasha to put the alcohol at the bar. Sango in turn took out the bottle of Jack Daniels and also brought it to the bar. Soon Sesshoumaru and Rin showed up with bags of supplies. They greeted their friends and gave them two bottles of Bacardi© rum. Rin and Sesshoumaru were in charge of getting most of the decorations. They bought the typical Halloween must haves: fake spider webs, tomb stones, pumpkins, black and red paper goods (black and red is so much better for Halloween!), fake black and red roses and a light machine to set up by the dance floor. The most amazing thing that they rented was a fog machine. Everyone had expressed the previous year that a foggy dance floor would be ridiculously eerie and perfect for Halloween. Sango, Kagome and Rin started to decorate the tables with the black and red plastic table cloths and roses. "I really wanted to go for a romantic, haunted castle/mansion. I think it's better than a regular old graveyard theme." Rin explained cheerfully. "I like it! It gives Halloween a much more whimsical approach instead of scary." Kagome assured her friend. Halloween was by far everyone of the friends' favorite holiday. This year would be the best Halloween yet, they could tell. Soon Kouga and Ayame arrived with a bag full of plates, cups, and utensils. Kagome hugged Ayame who was clearly beaming. She handed Kagome the bag with the alcohol. "Ooh! You bought Jose Cuervo! Wait what is Sparkling Cider doing in here?" Kagome inquired as she inspected the bag. Inuyasha looked annoyed, "Look everyone here is going to drink! Why in hell would you buy Cider?" Ayame blushed and Kouga glared at Inuyasha while putting his arm around his wife. Ayame nestled into Kouga's arm and looked at her. She nodded and he clearly understood what she meant. He looked at his friends and smiled, "Well, the reason for the cider is because, well, we're pregnant." Kouga blurted out the news and Ayame glared at him. "What do you mean 'we'? Last time I checked you're not the one with morning sickness!" Kagome, Sango and Rin gleefully ran to their friend and pounced on her. "Oh my goodness! Congratulations Ayame!" Rin shrieked in excitement as Ayame managed to break free from her friends' grasps. She let out a laugh and thanked them explaining that she was actually three months pregnant. "I didn't want to tell you all until I made sure that it was official. I didn't want to get your hopes up and have something happen." Ayame tossed her auburn hair back and winked at her three friends. She joined them with setting up the many tables all over the warehouse. Kouga assisted the guys while they set up the technical items for the dance floor. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru put their arms around Kouga and congratulated him in the typical manly fashion. "Good job Kouga! Now that you've knocked her up, you know what that means? Kiss your social life goodbye!" Inuyasha joked. Kouga looked back at Ayame who was laughing with the rest of the girls. He smiled, "I'm glad. There's nothing I rather be doing than raising a family with Ayame." Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru raised their eyebrows at his comment. "All I know is that I'm not ready for a baby with _anyone_ let alone Kagome." Inuyasha mumbled. Sesshoumaru stared at the floor and replied, "I don't have time for something as stupid as children."

His cold words, thankfully, did not reach Rin's ears. She was too busy rubbing Ayame's bulge. "I'm so jealous. I can't wait until I have a baby!" Rin cheered hoping that Sesshoumaru would hear but he wasn't paying attention to her. Kagome sighed, "I can." Sango laughed, "Good thing you're on the pill then, right?" All of the tables were set and the friends sat down to relax for a bit. Miroku finally arrived at 7:30 p.m. with the D.J. and bartender. He was carrying paper bags full of bottles of alcohol. He brought three bottles of Grey Goose Vodka, two bottles of Jack Daniels, and one bottle of Absinthe, something he smuggled in from Amsterdam. The Absinthe was only for the immediate friends. Sango caught a glimpse of him and melted right away. He smiled felt her gaze and smiled at her. "Hey guys! Sorry I'm late! These guys had no idea how to get here so I decided to pick them up!" Miroku laughed it off as he ushered the bartender to the huge bar and the DJ to the dance floor area. Things were slowly coming together. The DJ started to set up his turntables and speakers. The bartender set up the keg and the Jell-O shot trays. The friends escaped into the bathrooms to change into their costumes for the evening.

Sango, Kagome, Rin and Ayame congregated in the girls' bathroom and changed into their costumes. Sango escaped into one of the stalls so that no one would see her new wounds. She slipped into her vintage black Will Steinman 60's gown. The dress accentuated her figure and she looked beautiful in it. She stepped out of the bathroom stall and twirled around quickly showing off her figure and the treasure she found at Kaede's last week. Kagome was wearing the red slip she bought and proceeded to slink into black fish net stockings and tall go go boots. Ayame looked stunning in a white and gold Egyptian style dress and matching sandals. The dress showed off her bump more and she looked positively pregnant. Rin was wearing a pink ball gown that fell off her shoulders. She had matching pink heels and light pink stockings. Sango slid her feet into her red high heels and draped the red hooded cape around her body. Kagome shrieked when she realized who Sango was, "Grown-up, Goth, little red riding hood!" Sango giggled, Kagome and Sango had once wanted to have a Halloween party where everyone had to be dressed up as fairy tale characters gone Goth. Sango pulled out her make-up and approached the mirror. She applied foundation and powder. She didn't need white powder because she was already quite pale. She glided a layer of blood red eye shadow on her lid and a lighter red slightly above it. A thick layer of black liquid eyeliner framed her eyes creating a slight tail at the end giving her eyes cat-like qualities. The final touch was a deep red lip stick that gave her lips volume and plump. She looked wonderful. Ayame had a tradition Cleopatra face except she did not where a black wig. She was proud of her auburn hair and she let it fall the way it wanted to. She could not be bothered with taming the untamable. Rin had make-up that matched her perfectly pink costumes. The other friends were not sure what she was exactly, maybe a pink explosion, but she pulled it off looking cute but also very adult. Kagome was clearly dressed as hooker. Sango thought, _'I bet Inuyasha put her up to that. He loves it when she dresses slutty.'_ She looked beautiful, regardless of how little clothing she was wearing.

The four friends emerged from the bathroom to find that the warehouse had completely changed in the past fifteen minutes of getting ready. The fluorescent lights were replaced with dim red bulbs. The dance floor was lit by more red lights and encased by a thick fog. The DJ was starting to play eerie music to set the mood until the rest of the guests arrived. The Jell-O shots were strategically placed on every table with the cupcakes and cookies from Magnolia©. There were assorted chocolates and chocolate covered fruit. There were hot and cold hors dovres and plastic Halloween accessories decoratively set around the table. The party truly was a romantic, haunted castle. Sango saw that the guys were coming out of their bathroom and she put up the hood of the cape and escaped to the back of the warehouse to make sure that there was enough cross ventilation.

Inuyasha was dressed in a James Dean-esq costume that included jeans, a white t-shirt and a red leather jacket. (Real creative, yeah I got a little lazy) Sesshoumaru went as a traditional Japanese samurai, sword and all. Kouga decided to match his wife with the Egyptian theme, he was Pharaoh. Miroku dressed in a tuxedo with an eye patch over his right eye. Miroku explained to the guys that he decided that he would go as a typical James Bond villain. Everything was falling in to place. Miroku was worried that he did not see Sango. He picked that costume so that we would look dashing for her. Nine-o-clock managed to roll around and the first large amount of guests arrived. Most of them were Sango's co-workers. Sango was by the DJ when eight of her co-workers found her. They were dressed as a dirty version of snow white and the seven dwarves, 'so tight and the seven whores.' (Just to let you know some of my classmates did that it was really awkward.) Sango said her hellos. "Oh Sango you look so pretty!" Maggie, 'so tight', complimented Sango while drinking a Cosmopolitan. Sango's coworkers were slightly disturbing her so she managed to escape. The warehouse was completely filled with over 100 people. The bouncers had a lot of work trying to keep crashers out.

Sango scurried to the bar and greeted the bartender. "Hello Miss Sango, are you enjoying the party?" Sango caught her breath, "Yes, I just needed to escape my crazy, oversexed co-workers." The bartender joined Sango in laughter. "So what can I make you?" Sango was about to order when, "The lady will have a Jack and Coke." A man dressed in a cowboy costume piped up as he joined Sango at the bar. Sango was impressed, "How did you know my favorite drink?" The man smirked, "I guess my costume must be that good!" He removed is hat and Sango gasped. "Kuranosuke Takeda!" He chuckled at her surprise. "It's been ages!" She continued. Kuranosuke Takeda was a very tall, very attractive and very famous actor that Sango's agency represented. He and Sango met when he was first signed to her agency. He was always trying to get Sango to go out with him, but she firmly believed in not mixing business with pleasure. Kuranosuke sipped his cocktail as Sango received hers from the bartender. He smiled at her and boldly asked, "Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" Sango nearly choked on her drink. She looked up at his eager face. She could not find a reason to deny him, "Sure, I'd love too!" He extended his hand to her and in response she put her drink down and placed her hand in his. She blushed slightly and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor.

The lights were hazy and red. Sango and Kuranosuke were merely black silhouettes dancing amidst the other drunken shadows. Sango slinked across the dance floor with Kuranosuke behind her. He pulled her close and pressed his body against hers. Their hips moved with each other in rhythm with the beat. Sango forgot who she was dancing with and lost herself in the music. She became the enchanting socialite who danced the nights away. She could have any man she wanted but she only wanted one.

Miroku stood off to the side watching the guests engage in various activities. He sipped his "stinger" and allowed the alcohol to warm his body. He looked out into the crowd, until something caught his eye. He saw a beautiful woman dancing on the dance floor. Miroku thought that she looked like an enchantress seducing him to come closer. She was dancing with another man, but she did not seem to notice him any longer. Miroku decided to make his move. He sauntered over to her hoping to catch her attention. The other bodies dancing parted for him and she turned to him and allowed him to join her. Sango and Miroku's bodies intertwined with each new move they found with the music their eyes met. They realized exactly who they were dancing with and it did not faze them at all. In fact their dancing became more provocative. It was as if all the flirting and awkward moments were meant to lead up to this point. Their lower halves met and became one as he wrapped his arms around her waist and she brought her hands to his neck. Everyone else disappeared and they were quixotically moving in their own fantasies. Miroku and Sango suddenly brought their lips to one another's; they softly kissed and got lost in each other's arms. Their soft lips joined together for what felt like an eternity, finally solidifying their feelings for one another and changing everything.

..- top chef

…- Amy lee

So what did you think? R/R!!


	7. November Dating

AHAHAH!!!! I AM BACK! ENJOY!!!!!! Read and Review please!

Life as they knew it had changed since that unexpected kiss. They had finally opened their eyes and seen each other. They no longer had any doubts about the other's intentions and feelings. Not only had they been enveloped in a new wave of emotions but they seemed to be caught in the typical awkward social normal: dating. Sango had been on many dates and they all seemed to end the same way. She found herself in a moment of confusion, not knowing whether or not to let them up to her apartment or to just give them a quick kiss and suggest to them that they should 'get together again.' She never did call them, neither did they call her. She hoped it would be different with Miroku. She wanted him to call her the next day, hell she never wanted him to leave her. But at the moment she only had one major issue on her mind: what to wear on their first date. This was something that would seem trivial but, to the average woman the clothing is the most important impression a girl can make on a first date.

Sango was rummaging through her closet looking for the perfect outfit for her date. She dug her way through old Prada and Gucci dresses and found nothing. She sighed and sat on the floor of her closet. "Maybe I should just wear jeans and a t-shirt. I don't even know what we are doing tonight!" She leaned her head back in frustration. Miroku had decided that he would surprise her with a wonderful first date but this left Sango confused and aggravated. She resolved that she would wear a sheer black cocktail dress, which covered her arms and most of her legs, from Dior. She slipped the dress over her slender body and relished in the feeling of the cool material against her skin. The light chill that it evoked made her feel alive. She slipped into black Manolo high heels. She was still wearing the white gold locket he gave her months before. She smiled as she lightly touched the locket. She was interrupted by the buzz from her cell phone. Sango rushed to her vibrating phone that was resting on her dresser. The name on her cell phone made her smile, Miroku. "Hello?" she answered the call in a higher than normal pitched voice. She slightly scolded herself for seeming too excited. She did like Miroku, a lot, but she did not want to seem desperate.

Miroku chuckled. Clearly he could tell how excited she was because he called her. Sango blushed at the sound of Miroku's laughter. She quickly quipped, "So what time are you coming to get me?" She paced her bedroom awaiting his reply. "Well actually, I'm downstairs. I think it would be utterly uncivilized if I didn't come to your door to get you. Could you buzz me in?" It took everything in her not to scream. She was not ready for him to come up! However, she did not want to let on that she was nervous. So she played it off like she didn't care, "Um sure hold on." She hung up her phone and rushed to her front door to buzz him in. She pressed the button by the door and ran back to her bedroom to run a brush through her hair and primp herself a bit more before he got to her door. She cursed herself for taking too much time to get ready. Kohaku would always make fun of her, when they were growing up, about taking too much time in the bathroom to get ready for school or any significant social event. Luckily she managed to make it to the door as Miroku was knocking.

She panted slightly out of breath as she opened the door, "Wow great timing." Sango suddenly had to stop herself to catch her breath once again. He was even more handsome than ever before. He was dressed in a grey Armani jacket and matching pants. His hair was slicked back and he reminded her of Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. She ushered him in with a slight blush creeping over her cheeks. She followed him into her living room and kitchen and he sat himself comfortably onto her couch. She managed not to stare at him tonight because she knew that he was hers for the entire night, a thought that made her want to jump up and down in excitement. "So where are we going tonight?" She asked meekly not wanting to expose her excitement to him right away. Miroku smirked slightly, "Oh I've got a very special night planned. It's going to be very simple, but very nice. I think first dates should be about talking, not about extravagance." Sango agreed with that statement, she wanted tonight to be about getting to know him more intimately. He stood up and sauntered over to her getting so close that he was about two inches away from her. Normally Sango would have found this extremely uncomfortable and probably would have smacked him, but she wanted to be so close to him that even almost touching was enough for her. "Are you ready to go?" He asked softly. His warm breath caressed Sango's cheek and she closed her eyes in ecstasy hoping that her mind wasn't playing tricks with her. She didn't want to wake from this dream, if it was a dream. Almost all of her dreams were about him or her parents. She nodded with her eyes still closed and she could feel him move away from her. Miroku was pleased that she was feeling some sort of pleasure from his body being so close to her own. He had wanted to kiss her, just as he did at the Halloween party a week ago, but he knew he had to control himself. She responded to his change in proximity by opening her eyes once again. He was staring at her with his deep purple eyes. She shied hers eyes away from his gaze and retreated into her bedroom to grab her purse.

She inhaled deeply before she returned to him, she needed to compose herself. She grabbed her coat from the couch and slipped it over her shoulders smoothly. He offered her his arm and she accepted it with slight hesitation, "I promise I won't bite." He joked to help make her feel slightly more comfortable, which she did. She allowed her left side of her body to be pressed against his right. It was pure bliss. She could feel his warmth spreading to her and she allowed herself to relax as she walked with him down the hall to the elevator. The silence of the hall was broken by the clicking of Sango's heels on the wood floor. Miroku pressed the down button to the elevator and ushered her in and they waited silently allowing the lullaby of the elevator hum to speak for them. Miroku sighed attempting to break the silence but Sango just responded with an "hm." Unfortunately they had to adhere to the "elevator rules", that specifically mention, absolutely no talking in an elevator. It would have been painful if the elevator had gotten stuck; Miroku was never a fan of tight spaces.

The elevator doors opened and they quickly escaped the awkward situation and walked side by side to the lobby. Miroku lightly placed his hand on her shoulder and managed to pull her a little closer to him. Sango nestled into the light embrace as if they were a married couple and this was just one of their date nights. She was starting to become comfortable with the idea of spending the rest of her life with him. '_What is wrong with you? It's only the first date and you're thinking of marriage!'_ She scolded herself for being a little too hopeful, everything could go wrong tonight and they would never date each other again. Sango prayed that the latter would not be the case tonight. Miroku led them both to the car that was awaiting them outside. Carl, Miroku's stone-faced driver, opened the door for them and Sango and Miroku slid across the leather seats into the car. She nestled her body into the seat and turned toward Miroku. She enjoyed looking at him. She loved how handsome he looked in the dark light of the car. She shadows brought out the angles in his face and he looked rather masculine.

Miroku could feel her eyes on him and he was slightly embarrassed and yet he loved that she kept looking at him. He could barely keep himself from staring at her also in the car. She was a vision of enchanting beauty. He could see her as an Amazonian princess. She was strong and beautiful. She was a woman who could kill any man who looked at her the wrong way. He did not see himself as the man who would tame her, however, he wanted to fight beside her and love her as she was, forever. "You look very beautiful tonight." He smiled as she blushed slightly and thanked him for the compliment, something she didn't expect to hear out of his mouth at all. Sango eyes roamed to her feet and she muttered, "You look great too." She smiled at the fact that she mustered up the courage to compliment him as well. Even though the feelings were clearly mutual, they both felt ridiculously awkward around each other, which was understandable. There was this overwhelming feeling of not wanting to push each other away.

The car pulled over and Sango and Miroku exited onto the sidewalk. Miroku thanked Carl and told him that he would call him when he was needed later. Miroku placed his hand on the small of Sango's back, a very loving gesture, and led her to a restaurant called "Pasta Lovers" on 49th and Broadway. Sango was happy that he chose a place that was not too hip. She did not want a lot of noise tonight. She wanted to be able to talk and listen to him. They entered the dimly lit Tuscan restaurant and were immediately brought to their table by the maître d'. Sango noticed the beautiful paintings that resembled Italian Villas and she immediately knew that this would become a new favorite restaurant. The warm atmosphere enveloped them and Miroku was positive that he chose the perfect place for their first date. Sango felt as if she had been whisked away to Italy with Miroku and, perhaps, they could go there together one day. She enjoyed fantasizing about a life with him and for some reason, it didn't seem so impossible anymore. They sat across from each other at the intimate table and proceeded to order a bottle of Chianti for the evening. Miroku gazed at Sango's candle lit face. "I am glad you let me take you out on a date. I've been wanting to for so long…" Miroku trailed off in response to Sango's slight blush. Sango smiled coyly and said, "I am glad you asked me." Sango was slightly put off by how cute they were being together. This was something she only thought happened in the movies.

Miroku and Sango ordered their meals and continued the small talk that had started before. Sango sipped her wine and started to feel a wave of warmth over her, which made her a bit more at ease with the situation. "I've wanted to tell you, Miroku, that I _never_ in my life thought I would be out on a date with _you_." She giggled nervously hoping that she had not said the wrong thing. Miroku smirked and responded, "Yes, I was quite the playboy when we first met, but I don't feel the need for that anymore." Sango was amused by the comment, "What happened? Did you get all of the girls you wanted?" Miroku's gaze shifted to his wine glass and he twirled the dark red liquid around the rim. Sango was surprised by his change and she felt some what to blame for making such a juvenile comment _'I'm so stupid.'_ "I'm sorry," she said trying to lighten the blow, "did I offend you?" Miroku shifted his eyes onto her again looking at her with a sincerity that she had never seen before from him. "It was something that I needed to change. You have every right to criticize me." He allowed a small smile to slip onto his face, "I got tired of it. Sure I was with some of the most beautiful women in New York but all of my encounters were empty. I realized that I need something more than what I was getting. I'm not proud of what I've done, but if I hadn't…… I never would have met you." Sango was utterly shocked, embarrassed and pleased by what she had just heard. "I think that you are one of the nicest men I have ever met." She was telling the truth. Sure he may have been a complete pig when they first met, but now that things were changing between them, she understood how compassionate he was.

They both looked at each other with affectionate eyes and they both knew that something unexpected had just passed between them. There was a new found respect for one another. They both were willing to listen to each other and give whatever they could to make the other feel comfortable. Miroku had truthfully opened up to Sango and Sango was willing to listen to him. Sango wanted so much to be as open with him as he was with her but she was still afraid of what he would think of her. She wanted to tell him about her parents, Kohaku, her self-mutilation, and even her jealousy towards Kagome and Inuyasha. However, they continued to discuss idle things such as work, friends and childhood memories. Sango picked at the food that was brought to her when she quipped, "I can't believe Kouga and Ayame are having a baby. It's so strange. It only seems like yesterday when Kagome and I basically forced them together." Miroku was intrigued, "Really? I never heard the story about how they got together. I've only been in the group, officially, for two years." Sango was happy that she could tell this story to someone, "Oh well it truly was forced. Kouga was trying to get Kagome to date him for months, but she was with Inuyasha. Ayame's father was a client of mine and she was so strong willed and confident, not to mention extremely beautiful, that I thought they would be perfect for each other. She needed a date for my company's New Years party and well I made him go with her. The rest, as they say, is history." She sipped her wine and smiled at her proud match-making skills. Miroku chuckled, "You are quite gifted Miss Sango." She smiled and replied, "Oh I try!"

Miroku poured himself another glass of wine and took a large gulp. Sango allowed a silence to grow between them for a few minutes. It was important that she could still feel a connection with him even when they were not talking. She managed to take a few bites of her Chicken Marsala and sip more of her wine. Miroku stole glances of his raven haired date and finally decided to break the silence, "So, forgive me for asking, but why are you not taken Sango? I didn't mean to be so forward about it, but you always seemed so strong and confident. I always thought you could get any man you wanted." Sango sighed in response and decided that this was one thing she could open up to him about tonight. "I think that I've just been so afraid of getting hurt. I've never been with someone long enough to let them get close. It's just… I've always been the girl who is career driven and too busy to be in a relationship. I know its total bullshit because when I see Kagome and Inuyasha together I get so jealous. Don't get me wrong, I love them both, it's just hard to be around them sometimes, you know?" Miroku chimed in, "Oh yes believe me I know. I feel the same way when I am with both or either one of them." Sango looked down at her plate and mumbled, "I know now that I have to open up in order to have anything truly meaningful in my life, but I guess that's the case with everyone." Miroku could feel her pain radiate to him. He wanted everything she wanted. He knew that they were perfect for one another and he would be the biggest idiot in the universe if he let her go.

The dinner was ending and the couple had talked about pretty much everything they could think of that evening. Miroku paid the bill and left a more than generous tip and escorted his date out to the car. Sango linked her arm in his and felt a supreme amount of security in his arms. They stole away into Miroku's car and sat close to each other on the ride back to Sango's apartment. Sango rested her tired head upon his shoulder and closed her eyes lightly. Miroku felt his heart pumping fast out of nervousness and excitement that she was allowing herself to get close to him. Sango wanted to remember this night forever and she did not want to leave him. She was so tried of pushing men away from her and filling her painful void with self inflicted pain instead. She wanted him to help her. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her and tell her that he loved her. She wanted to kiss him and allow him to kiss her. She wanted to go to bed with him. But she knew that tonight was not the night for this to happen. She wanted him to come back to her. Carl arrived at her apartment a bit too soon and she felt a pain in her heart that she had to leave him.

They managed to stay in the car for a little longer than Carl would have liked. Miroku did not want to wake Sango and Sango did not want to leave him at all. They emerged from the black town car and stopped at the front of her apartment. Sango turned to face him so that they were literally inches away from each other. Sango whispered, "I don't think you should come up." Miroku nodded in agreement, "I know." Sango explained, "It's not that I don't want you to. I just think that—" Miroku interrupted, "Shh. I know." He smiled with his kind eyes looking down at her beautiful face. He leaned down slowly and rested his lips upon hers. Sango closed her eyes in pleasure feeling the warmth of his lips spreading to hers. She opened her mouth to allow some breath into her lungs and he gently slipped his tongue into her mouth. She did not protest at all and her tongue was dancing with his. The ecstasy of the kiss lasted for what felt like hours. Their supple lips moved under each others and their arms wrapped around their shaking bodies. Sango pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. "I don't know how it all happened, but I am completely enamored by you." Miroku buried his head into the crook of her neck and pulled her into a deep embrace. She smelled his intoxicating scent and allowed him to breathe her in as well. He lifted his head and kissed her once more, just as softly but slightly shorter so that he could bid her goodnight. "I _will_ call you tomorrow. Sleep well." He watched her as she reluctantly left him and entered her building. Miroku breathed in the cold November air and returned to his car.

Sango could feel the butterflies in her stomach fluttering around so quickly she needed to sit down. When she reached her apartment and flicked on the light an elated smile seemed to be stuck on her face. She danced around her apartment as if she were in a Gene Kelly movie. Her trance was broken by the red light beeping on her answering machine. She went to it and pressed play.

"_Hi Sango! It's me Rin! I know you are out on your big date, but I couldn't wait to tell you this! Sesshoumaru and I are engaged! I'm so excited I'm about to burst. I am already planning for the Wedding! I hope everything went spectacular tonight! Give me a call and let me know all of the details! Goodnight!"_

Sango said in response, "I guess November is going to be a busy month." She retired to her bedroom and found herself sleeping the easiest she ever had, simply because, she was sleeping to dream of him.


End file.
